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Turn with me to Luke 11 again as we continue our study through Luke.
And this morning reached the end of the Lord's Prayer itself.
One more week on prayer next week.
I'm so thankful for what God has been doing in my life with this.
I grew up in the church, so I talked a lot about praying.
I knew it was a good thing, and I wanted to be a good person, so I said I prayed a lot.
A problem for most of my life was that I didn't.
I really prayed at the times you were supposed to pray, you know, when everybody prayed, and it looked good.
But over the past couple of years, especially as I've been studying this section of Luke's Gospel on prayer,
I find God leading me to pray not merely because I'm supposed to, but because I need to.
I love that.
I get to talk to my Heavenly Father, to tell Him what's on my heart,
and to rejoice in being a part of His kingdom work.
We're going to see this morning the final petition of the Lord's Prayer,
and it's another reason that we especially need to pray, and we especially get to pray.
Let's read again Luke 11 at verse 1.
Now, Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when He finished, one of His disciples said to Him,
Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.
And He said to them,
When you pray, say,
Father, hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins.
For we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation.
This is God's holy word.
Let's pray and ask His help as we study it together.
Father, we do come to You desperate this morning.
Those of us who listen, and the one who speaks as well, we all need to hear from You.
And so we've come to Your Word, and do so with great hope.
Because we know You love to speak to us.
And so, Father, by Your Spirit, through Your Word, would You speak clearly to all of our hearts.
We ask it in Jesus' name.
Amen.
One of the most famous battles of the War of 1812 is the Battle of New Orleans.
It's famous because Andrew Jackson was the American general who led his troops to defeat the British forces in this great battle.
And later then became president, somewhat on the popularity coming out of this battle.
It's also famous because when the battle was fought, the war had been over for two weeks.
The two sides had met together in Belgium and signed a peace treaty two weeks before the Battle of New Orleans.
But while the battle was taking place, news of that treaty was still traveling by ship across the Atlantic.
And so these two armies, unaware of what had developed, walked into danger.
Hundreds of men killed in a major battle even after the war was over.
The dynamic of battles after wars are officially over has continued through the years, through the American Civil War.
Several battles after Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Courthouse happened in World War I.
And even with communication improving still after World War II,
where some Japanese soldiers refused to surrender for decades after the war was over.
Into the 1970s, some still fighting to the death or insisting that the news they'd heard of Japan surrendering was merely propaganda.
That it wasn't true, they were still fighting.
Last week we focused on the petition, forgive us our sins.
And saw that Jesus has fully and finally paid our debts and conquered sin for us.
The war is over.
And Jesus is the victor.
And today he teaches us to pray about the ongoing battle.
The battle in the war that has already been won.
He says, pray, lead us not into temptation.
Sin's penalty has been paid, but its power and presence in our world are real.
Satan is defeated, but he nonetheless refuses to surrender.
It's this spiritual warfare that God's Word tells us we're engaged in,
but which we often choose to ignore.
And we hear news of physical battles in North Korea and the Middle East.
Those are front page news.
They grab our attention.
But we often neglect the daily reality of our dangerous, ongoing fight against sin and against evil.
And so what we learn as Jesus teaches us to pray this petition
is that prayer is the way we fight this battle.
It's a declaration of war of God's kingdom against Satan's, as we have said before.
It's a crucial part of the armor of God for our spiritual battles.
Remember the way Paul says it in Ephesians 6 when he's talking about the armor of God.
Take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day.
And having done all to stand firm.
And he goes on talking about the helmet and the sword and the shield.
And finishes praying at all times in the Spirit.
With all prayer and supplication.
To that end, keep alert with all perseverance.
Making supplication for all the saints.
The battle continues.
And because our enemies are strong, but our Savior is stronger,
prayer is the essential weapon in our ongoing war.
We must pray all the time with all sorts of requests.
So what do we mean exactly when we pray,
lead us not into temptation?
It can actually sound a little odd when you slow down and start thinking about it carefully.
So first let me clarify three things it does not mean.
It does not mean these things.
You heard the not, right?
Does not mean this.
It does not mean, God, you promised life would never be hard, so make it easy.
No, that's not it.
God's Word is clear.
We will face trials and difficulties.
Secondly, it does not mean being faced with temptation is itself sinful.
We're praying against temptation,
but we see in God's Word that temptation comes even to whom?
to Jesus Himself, right?
Jesus was tempted many times yet without sin.
Temptation itself is not sinful.
Thirdly, it does not mean,
God, you sometimes tempt me to sin so it's your fault when I do.
No.
James tells us God doesn't tempt anyone in the sense of enticing them to sin,
promoting evil.
Sin is not how God works.
Sin is our responsibility.
Doesn't mean those things.
So then what does it mean?
What do we mean when we pray,
lead us not into temptation?
Best I can tell,
what we're asking is essentially this,
Father,
help us,
strengthen us,
and deliver us,
because our weakness is overwhelming,
life is hard,
and Satan is real.
Help us, strengthen us, deliver us,
because our weakness is overwhelming,
life is hard,
and Satan is real.
I love the way the Heidelberg Catechism says it from nearly 500 years ago.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one,
means,
by ourselves,
we are too weak to hold our own,
even for a moment.
And our sworn enemies,
the devil,
the world,
and our own flesh,
never stop attacking us.
And so,
Lord,
uphold us,
and make us strong with the strength of your Holy Spirit,
so that we may not go down to defeat in this spiritual warfare,
but may firmly resist our enemies until we finally win the complete victory.
You see how it starts?
We are weak.
Our enemies are strong.
Our God is stronger.
So you who's stronger,
help us,
who are weak.
Those three famous adversaries of God's people,
the world,
the flesh,
and the devil,
they're waging an ongoing war against us.
They won't stop attacking us.
And this petition is where we enter into the battle with them in prayer.
We're fighting against them as we kneel down.
We've said kneeling down is taking out our swords,
entering into the battle,
praying,
lead us not into temptation.
In fact,
as Jesus explains in Matthew,
as it's fuller,
deliver us from evil,
right?
As we pray this prayer,
we are acknowledging those who are at war against us.
Those from whom we cry for God to deliver us.
First,
the flesh.
It's our own personal weakness.
We're acknowledging how weak we are,
where we admit on our own we can't stand against our enemies.
We can't find our own way.
And so we pray,
Father,
lead us.
Even before we get to where?
Just,
Father,
lead us.
The spirit is willing,
but the flesh is weak.
It's an admission of our weakness anytime we ask to be led,
isn't it?
Go around asking people to lead you all the time?
Not too often.
And when we do,
we're saying,
I need help.
I can't find my own way.
I need somebody to lead me.
I don't know how to do this.
I can't figure this one out.
I can't handle the battle on my own.
So,
Father,
lead me.
So we ask when we sing,
guide me,
O thou great Jehovah,
pilgrim through this barren land.
I am weak,
but thou art mighty.
Hold me with thy powerful hand.
It's saying,
Father,
here's our relationship again today.
I am weak.
You are mighty.
And you hold me with your powerful hand every moment,
all the time.
I want you to picture,
as you think of that,
a toddler who's learning to walk,
weak and wobbly on his legs,
and his parent who never lets go of his hand so that he won't fall.
You've done that before.
There he is trying to learn to walk,
but he falls,
but your parent holding his hand so those weak and wobbly legs can hold up.
Have you felt weak and inadequate recently?
I know I have.
I'll share something in each of these areas we talk about this morning
that has caused me to pray this prayer recently.
I've felt weak and inadequate as a pastor.
I said,
God,
lead me.
Help me.
How do I understand your word?
How do I help this couple?
How do I lead a staff?
How do I cast a kingdom-sized vision for your people?
Now,
you may not be asking those particular questions,
but you may also struggle with feeling inadequate for where God has called you to serve in his kingdom.
I'm not the only one who is not sufficient for the task.
God,
you have to lead me.
There's so much broken around me.
I don't know how to fix it all.
I don't have the wisdom,
God.
I'm tired in the battle.
I don't see any hope for what you've called me to being any better.
Father,
where do you feel your weakness?
You can pray.
In fact,
we must pray.
God,
lead us.
But not into temptation.
Father,
lead us,
but not into temptation.
Don't send me into the midst of the battle,
God.
It's too much.
I'm not sure I could bear it.
The world is against us too,
isn't it?
Because it also is broken and warring against God.
This is the part about life being hard.
Just the pains and difficulties of life,
the heartbreak,
the fears,
the disappointment that we all endure.
See,
the word translated temptation in our Bibles can also refer to testing,
like trials that God does bring to affirm the reality of our faith,
to strengthen us to trust Him more.
And it's a little bit strange to think that we would pray against those testings,
those trials,
because James tells us we're to consider them pure joy.
Because testing produces perseverance,
and that's a good thing, right?
We should want that.
We long to have our character built up and perseverance developed.
So it would be strange if that were all that was meant.
And so theologians don't agree on whether or not this is in mind here.
But I believe it is partly in mind when Jesus teaches us to pray this.
At first, because the psalmist prays like this,
about the agonies of life.
Deliver me.
Deliver my life.
Rescue me.
I'm weary with my moaning.
I'm surrounded by my foes.
My soul is greatly troubled.
God, how long?
Over and over and over as you read through the psalms.
These are testings in which God will deliver him,
and through which God will bless him and strengthen his faith in God's steadfast love.
But they are painful.
And so the psalmist pours out his heart honestly to God and says,
take them away.
I can't endure them.
But I especially believe that Jesus is teaching us to pray this way here
because I see Jesus himself praying it.
In the garden, right?
What does he say?
Father, if it is possible, remove this cup from me.
I see the reality of the pain and the agony before me in this world.
The foes arrayed against me,
and I cry out not to be led into that.
It appears to be too much to bear.
Right?
I don't know what the seemingly overwhelming attack would be for you,
but I've prayed,
God, heal my wife.
I don't know what I would do without her.
God, protect my girls.
I'm not sure my heart could bear up under the crushing weight of losing one of them.
God, no more emotional situations right now.
I just don't think I can manage one more plate spinning.
My heart's full.
And God, in his mercy,
often meets us
there in those cries,
and he spares us the agony we fear,
the part of the battle we're sure we would be overrun by
would be too much for us.
But the example of Jesus reminds us
that God doesn't always answer this prayer
the way we would hope or expect
every time, does he?
Jesus still drinks that bitter cup.
Sometimes the trial still comes.
Sometimes the world seems to be having its way with me.
Sometimes the grief is too much to bear.
And so we pray,
as we already have in this prayer,
lead us not into temptation,
but
thy will be done.
You know best,
Father.
And you promised to care for me here.
See, sometimes God spares us
in the agony
that we thought we could never handle.
And we get there and find out
he's there too.
And we cry,
deliver us.
And we plead that God
protects us in those moments
from the attacks
of the devil
in the midst
of our pain.
Because that's where the devil
loves to show up.
Isn't it?
He loves to tempt us to sin
and to turn away
from our relationship
with God
and begin to think
it's not really true.
God doesn't really love me.
He's not really my Father
after all.
See, we know sin
is an ongoing battle.
We know that temptation
is always a reality.
And so asking God
not to lead us
into temptation
is largely asking God
to protect us
and deliver us
in the midst of it.
Praying this reminds us
of the danger of sin.
Right?
If this is one of those things
we have to pray,
we must pray,
even though sin is forgiven,
sin is still dangerous.
And we're to hate it
because it is against
the image
and the glory of God.
Our weakness is overwhelming.
Life is hard.
And now,
Satan is real.
God doesn't entice us
to sin
and direct us to that.
But Satan
surely does.
So we need
God's deliverance
from Him.
Here's what that's looked like
for me as a husband
first
and then as a pastor.
As a husband,
it's late at night.
My wife has
fallen asleep
after an evening
where I've
seen some of my sin.
I've neglected
to listen
well,
to prioritize
my wife
and my family.
I've said
in the midst
of that hurtful
and defensive
words,
thinking only
of myself.
I've hurt
the one person
I promised
to love
above all others.
I've been selfish
and unthoughtful
and I know
that she's just
gone to sleep
disappointed.
Rightly so.
So what do I feel?
It's discouraging,
isn't it?
I'm so upset
with myself.
How could I do this
again?
You've done these
things before.
And Satan
comes in
right at that moment
as the accuser
and says to my heart
as I lie in bed
alone at night,
what a failure
of a husband
you are.
She's the easy one.
You got to pick her.
What about all the
other ones
you're supposed
to love?
Could God
possibly be
okay with you?
He really
couldn't be okay
with you,
could He?
He certainly
couldn't delight
in you
after all of this,
could He?
Could He?
Been there as a pastor
after a difficult season
in the life
of this church,
after a difficult day
and seeking to help
someone and they're
disappointed and I
couldn't help and it's
been all about me
and seeing the weight
of my failures
and my sin
and hurting people
I care about
in this church
and Satan whispers
God must be
so disappointed
in you.
You're such a failure
as a pastor.
What value
could you have
to God now?
You had one job
and you failed.
He's certainly
done with you.
God couldn't really
be okay with you
much less delight
in you
after all this,
could He?
because here's what
Satan loves to do.
He does it in different
ways in your life.
He loves to pull us
away from our Father.
He entices us
to sin,
to turn away
from God
and to chase
after our sin
and when we do
what He loves to do
is to show up
to accuse
with His lies.
He wants to draw us
away from our Father
because we're the
toddlers
who in Christ
are holding on
to Daddy's strong hand
and Satan wants us
to think that we have
to stand
on our own.
He wants to pull us
away
where we will
certainly fall
on our own,
where we can't
do it perfectly.
He wants to pull us
away to find
our identity
to trying to stand
as good husbands
and good pastors,
good mothers,
good engineers,
good kids,
good friends,
good Christians
and to think
that that's when
we'll stand
when we get
that right.
And then
when we fail,
when we sin,
His lies
and accusations
He brings
into our cycle
of shame.
your porn problem,
your self-image
issues,
your addiction,
your failure,
whatever it is,
is proof positive
God doesn't love you,
God couldn't love you.
He says
and our shame
wants to believe it.
That feels right.
That sounds right
in that moment.
He's tempting us
not only to sin,
which is dangerous
enough,
right?
Jesus had to die
for the forgiveness
we needed last week.
Sin is dangerous
and deadly
and then
He tempts us
to despair
of God's love
and drift
into the most
dangerous place
in the whole battle.
The one where
you're fighting
on your own
to protect
yourself
and your value
and your significance.
you're fighting
to stand
on your own.
And so I have to
wake up
the next morning
after my
sin
and my
shame
and come
pray
to my Father.
And remember
my identity
is in Jesus
being a good
Savior.
Not in me
being a good
husband.
God
will
stand
otherwise
I'll start
defending myself
again.
Defending my
failures
and my sin
because I have
to find some
way to stand
and if it's in
myself
I will make it
worse by
defending all
of the failures
I've already
had.
Instead of
repenting
from those
sins
and trusting
in Jesus
I stand
in Him
righteous
in Him
right?
It's the only
way God's
Word offers
me to stand
it's the only
way I have
to I'm in
Christ
forever.
And so we
cry out
Father
lead us
not into
that temptation
and when the
tempter
comes
deliver us
from Him
from the
evil that
would seek
to destroy
us.
Remind us
Father
that we
are Your
sons
and daughters
and You
will never
let us
go.
See that's
what we must
remember
as we pray
right?
I think we've
said it every
week
it's the one
to whom
we are
praying.
It's about
our relationship
with the one
to whom
we pray.
What is that
relationship?
What does
Jesus tell us
to call Him?
Father.
Even though
we still need
forgiveness of
sins,
Father.
Even though
we still need
to be delivered
from the
attacks of
our enemies,
Father.
How is that
even possible
when we don't
live like
sons all
the time?
When sometimes
we do fail?
When sometimes
our shame
even convinces
us to
believe
Satan's
lies,
it's possible
because Jesus
didn't.
He didn't
believe Satan's
lies.
He didn't
believe them
in the wilderness
temptation,
did He?
He submitted
to His
Father's will
and followed
His Father's
word
when tempted.
He didn't
crumble under
the crucible
of the
garden.
As He
sweats
drops of
blood,
He prayed,
Father,
Your will
be done.
He passes
the test
that we
fail so
often.
And in doing
so,
He willingly
goes to the
cross that
looked unbearable
even to Him
to defeat
evil and the
evil one
so that He
is able to
deliver us
from them
as well.
Jesus is
the victor
rising from
the grave
triumphant
over our
greatest enemies,
sin and
Satan and
death so
that He can
assure us of
our relationship
with our
Father no
matter what.
So that
what?
Nothing can
separate us
from the
love of
God in
Christ.
No
hardship,
no persecution,
no angel
or demon,
not the
devil himself,
not even
my sin
can separate
me from
my Father.
Even when
I pull away,
He will
never let
me go.
And if He
is for me,
who can be
against me?
We may
have strong
enemies
and they
may keep
fighting against
us and
refusing to
surrender.
In fact,
our King
promises that
they will
do so
until He
returns in
glory.
But our
Savior is
stronger.
And so our
ultimate victory
is sure.
We may
stumble in
the battle,
weak and
wobbly,
children that
we are.
but our
strong
Father holds
our hand
and will
never
let us
go.
As we
practice praying
this petition
this morning,
take a moment
quietly to
meditate.
As we've been
thinking about
questions that
can lead us
into prayer,
meditate on
your own
weakness.
happiness.
Meditate on
what sorts of
difficulties in
life would
overwhelm you,
would be too
much to
bear.
And consider
the temptations
you face,
especially the
ones that
would tempt
to isolate
you from
God, pull
you away
from your
Father in
your heart.
Take a
moment on
your own
and then we'll
pray together.
prayer.
Okay.
Peace.
out.
Peace.
eniya
Thank you.
We read earlier.
Let's pray.
Father, by ourselves we are too weak to hold our own, even for a moment.
And our sworn enemies, the devil, the world, and our own flesh never stop attacking us.
And so, Lord, uphold us and make us strong with the strength of your Holy Spirit so that we may not go down to defeat in this spiritual warfare,
but may firmly resist our enemies until we finally win the complete victory.
Father, you are for us.
So who can stand against us?
No one stands against you.
You justify us.
Jesus, who died and was raised to life, intercedes for us.
No one can condemn us.
No one can separate us from your love.
We are more than conquerors through the conqueror himself, through Jesus who loved us.
Thank you for never letting us go.
May we then stand confident that nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We ask it in his name and by his spirit.
Amen.